Metal air battery system and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10050291-B2
Application number	US-201615153903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A metal air battery system includes an air intake apparatus configured to draw external air, a metal air battery module configured to receive oxygen from the air intake apparatus to perform a discharging reaction, and comprising at least one inlet through configured for oxygen inflow and at least one outlet configured for oxygen outflow, and a flow path connection unit connecting the air intake apparatus to the metal air battery module. A position of the at least one inlet and a position of the at least one outlet is con figured to alternate between a first opening in the metal air battery module and a second opening in the metal air battery module as the metal air battery module is discharged, and the metal air battery system is configured so that at least a portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module is removed during a charging reaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal air battery system comprising:
an air intake apparatus configured to draw external air;
a metal air battery module configured to receive oxygen from the air intake apparatus to perform discharging reactions and comprising at least one inlet configured for oxygen inflow and at least one outlet configured for oxygen outflow during the discharging reactions; and
a flow path connection unit connecting the air intake apparatus to the metal air battery module,
wherein a position of the at least one inlet and a position of the at least one outlet are configured to be alternately reversed during the discharging reactions as the discharging reactions are performed, and
wherein the metal air battery module performs a charging reaction between the discharge reactions so that at least a portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module is removed during the charging reaction of the metal air battery module.

2. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , wherein the air intake apparatus comprises a purifier configured to purify air and remove moisture from the air, and a separator configured to separate the air purified by the purifier into oxygen and nitrogen.

3. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , wherein the position of the inlet and the position of the outlet are configured to be alternately reversed by the flow path connection unit.

4. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , wherein the air intake apparatus and the flow path connection unit are fluidly connected by a first flow path, and
wherein the flow path connection unit and the metal air battery module are fluidly connected by a second flow path.

5. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , wherein the air intake apparatus is configured to remove the portion of the oxygen from the metal air battery module to an outside of the metal air battery system.

6. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , wherein the air intake apparatus is configured to supply nitrogen to the metal air battery module via the flow path connection unit.

7. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum pump configured to remove the portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module to an outside of the metal air battery system during the charging reaction of the metal air battery module.

8. The metal air battery system of claim 7 , wherein the vacuum pump is fluidly connected to the flow path connection unit.

9. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , further comprising an inert gas supply unit configured to supply an inert gas to the metal air battery module.

10. The metal air battery system of claim 9 , wherein the inert gas is argon, helium, or nitrogen.

11. The metal air battery system of claim 9 , wherein the inert gas supply unit is connected to the flow path connection unit.

12. The metal air battery system of claim 1 , wherein the metal air battery module comprises at least one cell, and wherein the at least one cell comprises a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte.

13. The metal air battery system of claim 12 , wherein the metal air battery module comprises 1 to 1000 cells.

14. The metal air battery system of claim 12 , wherein the metal air battery module comprises a plurality of cells connected in series, in parallel, or a combination of series and parallel.

15. A method of operating a metal air battery system, the method comprising:
providing a metal air battery system comprising a metal air battery module, the metal air battery module comprising
at least one inlet through which oxygen flows into the metal air battery module from an air intake apparatus during discharging reactions, and
at least one outlet through which the oxygen flows out of the metal air battery module during the discharging reactions;

discharging the metal air battery module to perform the discharging reactions, and;
alternately reversing a position of the at least one inlet and a position of the at least one outlet during the discharging reactions; and
charging the metal air battery module between the discharging reactions; and
removing at least a portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module during the charging to operate the metal air battery system.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the position of the inlet and the position of the outlet are alternately reversed by a flow path connection unit which connects the air intake apparatus to the metal air battery module.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein, during the charging of the metal air battery module, the portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module is exhausted to an outside of the metal air battery system by reverse operation of the air intake apparatus.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein, during the charging of the metal air battery module, the portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module is removed by supplying nitrogen to the metal air battery module.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the air intake apparatus supplies the nitrogen to the metal air battery module.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein, during the charging of the metal air battery module, the at least a portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module is exhausted to an outside of the metal air battery system by a vacuum.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein, during the charging of the metal air battery module, the portion of the oxygen in the metal air battery module is removed by supplying an inert gas to the metal air battery module.

22. The metal air battery system of claim 21 , wherein the inert gas comprises argon, helium, nitrogen, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Heungchan
• Ko Jeongsik
• Kwon Hyukjae
• Kim Kihyun
• Im Dongmin

Classifications

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H01M10/46

  Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• H01M8/04119

  with simultaneous supply or evacuation of electrolyte; Humidifying or dehumidifying · CPC title

• H01M8/04761

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M12/08 Primary

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title